Level One N_One 11n Wireless Broadband Router Review. Page 2

The manufacturer promises that with this router we get performance and style in a single device. With advanced MIMO technology using 3 antennas, users should benefit from its throughput at long distances, signal multiplexing, and reduced wireless dead zones. Let’s find out if it is really so!

Exterior Design and Configuration

The WBR-6000 boasts an eye-catching exterior design. Its black case is complemented with touches of orange at the very tips of the antennas and in one corner of the body. Such contrasting color schemes are not used often, but this solution works in this model. The exterior is somewhat ascetic as the router’s indicators and controls are not conspicuous. So, there are some things in the exterior of the WBR-6000 that make it different from other same-class products.

This router can be installed flat or upright. You just put it with the orange side down in the first case. In the second case, you attach a small stand to one of the case’s corners. The stand is fastened firmly, but the router is not steady on it and easily falls sideways, obviously because the stand has a small footprint. The antennas turn to be at the top when the router is installed upright, which makes it easy to connect the cables at the back panel. The antennas cannot be detached and that’s a problem, considering that they have a gain of only 2dBi.

The case is ventilated by means of two small vent grids in the opposite panels. When the router lies horizontally, this ventilation doesn’t work quite well and the bottom of the case becomes very hot. It is better when the router stands upright: the hot air is rising up and leaving the case faster due to the position of the vents, one of which turns to be at the top and the other, at the bottom of the case. The temperature of the case is lower then.

The router has indicators, even though they are inconspicuous at first sight. You can also note small labels at the top of the front panel. The indicators are placed behind a translucent strip on the front panel and are invisible when turned off. The indication system isn’t quite good. The labels are too small and cannot be read even from a short distance. Some indicators have unusual functions. Here they are (from left to right):

Key (indicates if the wireless connection uses encryption and WPS)

WLAN (indicates the activity of the wireless connection)

LAN (indicates the activity of the router’s LAN connection)

Power

WAN (indicates the activity of the router’s WAN connection)

NET (indicates that the WAN connection has passed authentication, etc. and is ready to work)

These are not all of the router’s indicators, however. Port specific indicators are placed at the back panel near the respective ports. This solution is typical of industrial switches and routers where these indicators are usually in full view, but it doesn’t work well for a home device.

The back panel also offers the following (from left to right):

Button that enables WPS-based automatic setup of the wireless connection

Four LAN ports

WAN port

Reset button

Power connector

It is now time to see what is inside this router. It was not easy to take the WBR-6000 apart. There are no screws here, but all the parts of the case are fastened together with latches. To open the latches up, you have to put something sharp between the black and orange parts. We couldn’t do that without leaving some notches on the edges of the case. Moreover, there is a jutting tab in one corner of the orange panel, and a prong on the internal side of the black part of the case goes into the hole in the tab.

If you don’t know about this thing, you will almost inevitably break the orange tab, just as we did. Therefore you should not open the router up without a real need because there is a risk of your losing your warranty.

The router’s PCB is almost as large as the case. The component mounting is good, but there are traces of rinsing solution that had already initiated corrosion of unprotected sections of copper interconnects in some places.